fort hood suspect
Jury recommends death for Nidal Hasan
02:10 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

Nidal Hasan is facing the death penalty for Fort Hood shootings

He grew a beard, saying it was because of his Muslim beliefs

Beard does not conform to Army regulations, so was shaved

Washington CNN  — 

The beard that delayed the Fort Hood court martial trial for months is gone. Maj. Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of 13 murders and dozens of attempted murders, is clean shaven again.

According to an Army statement about Hasan’s incarceration at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, “All inmates must conform to AR 670-1, wear and appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia.”

The statement also said, “In keeping with the provisions” of the regulations, “Inmate Hasan has been shaved.”

A military jury on August 28 recommended the death penalty for Hasan convicted for the 2009 massacre at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded.

Fort Hood shooting timeline

In June 2012, Hasan first showed up in court with a beard. Hasan said the beard was an expression of his Muslim beliefs.

The judge at first refused to allow Hasan in the courtroom during pretrial hearings, instead forcing him to watch on closed-circuit TV from a nearby trailer.

Later, the judge, Col. Gregory Gross, found Hasan in contempt of court. Hasan attorneys filed an appeal and the court martial was on hold. Eventually Hasan was allowed to keep the beard during the trial and Gross was replaced for the court martial.

The whole beard legal battle took six months to settle.